Chapter 17
Love Hate Relationship
When Lily walked into the common room, the first person she saw was James. He was
talking to Sirius, and although they were on the other side of the room, she could hear them
clearly.
"You know what? You flirt with her just to get to me, don't you? You know she's mine, so
back off."
"She's not yours man, you two aren't together, so I can flirt if I want."
"No, you can't. Besides, we might as well be together, she spent the night with me for crying
out loud."
"Excuse me," Lily marched over, confronting James face to face, "I am not your property,
and don't go around making it seem like we did anything, alright? Cause nothing happened, and I
can flirt with whoever I want. I am not a piece of meat. I am not your property, I do not belong
to anyone except myself."
"Lily, don't be like that."
"Like what? Right? Ritously indignant?"
"You girls are all alike, you don't understand what I meant. You always twist things around."
James siged, exasperated, and ran his fingers through his hair.
"Us girls? Excuse me for having felings James Potter, but us girls are not all the same
person. And I understand better than you think. Disagreeing and not understanding are two
totally different things. You chauvanistic jerk, don't even talk to me anymore. Before I leave, I
would like to make one thing perfectly clear, I AM NOT ANYONE'S PROPERTY, LEAST
OF ALL YOURS, and I want to make sure there is no misunderstanding here, I can flirt with
whoever I want, because we are not together, so back off." She tunred away, flicking her hair
over her shoulder as she did, and then spun around on her heel, walked back, and grabbed
Sirius's face in her hands, planting a kiss firmly on his lips.
"Hey, man, I totally did not ask for that. That was not my fault, and I did not instigate that."
"I know. Wait a second, I thought it was always the guys fault. What happened to that?"
"Dude, except in that circumstance. In this case I was totally right. With wittnesses. That's
not to say I didn't like it..." Sirius moved towards the retreating back of Lily, making grabbing
motions at her ass and pretending to spank the air. James tackled him, punching him in the
stomach.
"Ow, hey, stop that." Sirius hit back, hard. There was soon a fully fledged fight going on in
the common room, but Lily did not know that she had caused a fight, because she had already
retreated to her bedroom to look at old pictures and remember her aunt.
"Lily, what was that?" "What?" Lily looked up from her photo album, her eyes sparkling
with tears.
"What was kissing my ex boyfriend, hurting James, and causing a huge fight, without even
inviting me or warning me to conveiantly be there?"
"Sorry, I didn't mean to be mean, he just frustrates me so much. He's so bossy and
controlling. What a jerk. I hate him. AHAHAHHHH" Lily's laugh at Holly's words turned into a
shriek as she pounded her pillow in frustration.
"What happened to lurving him? One minute you two are sleeping together, the next you're
hitting eachother."
"I did not sleep with him, not in the way you mean at least. And I never touched him tonight.
AND we are not dating. I do not like him. He's a juevenile, immature, self centered, concieted,
sexist, pig. I hate him."
"That's news to me. When did this start?"
"Basically just now. I always hated him, I just thought I liked him at one point because I was
on the rebound from Severus. I hate him with a passion."
"So you'll at least admit that you feel passionately about him? I'm going to go tell all of my
friends. Hey Lily, did you hear that Lily feels passionately about James Potter?"
"I thought you were telling all of your friends."
"I just did, you're it."
"Haha, thanks. Seriously though, I can't stand him."
"That's a shame."
"Why?"
"Because he's crazy about you."
"He is not." Lily blushed and looked away, both girls knew that it was true. Lily looked
back at her pictures and then determinadly closed the book and pushed it under her bed. "I need
a distraction. From everthing. I want to do something crazy. I want to party, or hook up with
someone. Or....or....or pierce my ear, or get a tatoo, or dye my hair. Or anything."
"I like the party idea. And the hooking up with a stranger idea."
"Let's go." Lily quickly sliped on her jeans and a low cut top. She applied lip gloss and eye
liner, and was ready to walk out the door in 10 minuetes flat with her hair and teeth brushed.
"Hold up, I'm not ready. Besides, where are we going to find a party here?"
"Look outside hun, do you see those fireworks, or am I imagining it? Looks like its that
time of year again!"
"Yeah, but those are in Hogsmede, and it'll be after curfew, besides we can't get all the way
there and back before dark, that would leave no party time."
"Who says we need to get back before curfew?"
"We'll get caught Lily, you know how strict Professor Inkbeat is, she's a monster, and I
know that she loves you, but I don't think it would make a difference."
"It's called, I have and invisibility cloak. Well actually I gave it to James, but I have it right
now."
"I don't know Lily, is this a good idea?"
"Of course, now let's go."
"I'd be the first person to condoll breaking rules and going to parties, but I don't know if ths
is a good idea."
"Please Holly, we won't tell the others, let's just us go. That way they can't give us away,
we'll be fine. Come on."
"I made up my mind and nothing you say will change that...let's PARTAY!!!" She threw her
arms in the air and stared spinning circles.
"Holly, let's get there first, put some clothes on and lets go."
"Right behind you." Lily whipped out the cloak and draped it around her and Holly. It was
quite warm. She crept out the room and down the stairs, closing the door softly behind them.
They walked down the great stairs on tiptoe, passing an open classroom door, a suit of armour
that was rattling suspiciously, and Professor Inkbeat. The girls held their breath as she walked
passed, hoping that the invisibilty cloak would protect them from her rath if they were
discovered. They would likely get months of horrible detentions, and the invisibility cloak would
be confiscated without question. They waited for her to pass out of hearing before they opened
the door to the outside. Lily knew a shortcut to Hogsmede, but it still took them about a half
hour to reach the sight of the fireworks. Lily shoved the invisibility cloak into a bag she had
thought to bring with her and headed in to the throng of people, Holly by her side. In a corner by
the bar, nursing a drink, was Rubeus. He did not look happy with all of the people, apparently
he had not been warned about the party.
"Come on, he can't see us, we'll be so busted." Whispered Lily to Holly.
"Don't worry about him, he's so drunk he won't recognize us, besides, he'll have a terrible
hang over tomarrow and won't remember anything. I doubt he'll remember there was a party, let
alone us coming here."
"If you're sure, lets move to the other side of the square anyway. Just to be safe." The party
was outside, and the weather was slightly cold, but it was not bad because of the bonfires that
were placed around the square. There were lights and lanterns everywhere, and everyone was
either drinking, laughing, or dancing.
"Come on, let's get some guys and have some fun."
"I like the sound of that, shall I attract some attention? I like the look of those hotties over
there." Holly flicked her hair and Lily could tell she was going to call on her Veela charm. Her
eyes glazed over and Lily could tell that, although she could not hear it, Holly was sending out a
song audible only to men, although not even they would realize that they were being summoned.
The hot guys, who had been dancing with some pretty girls, apparently their girlfriends, stopped
dancing and walked over to Holly.
"Did I tell you that I'm the richest man in Europe?"
"Well I own a diamond mine!"
"I have a big house!"
"I have ten cars!"
"Woah, woah, boys. Calm down. There's plenty to go around. Whoever it was who owns
the diamond mine, come and tell me more. This is my friend Lily, Lily, take your pick." Holly
entered the throng with the owner of the diamond mine, this was a routine they used often, Holly
summoned the guys and took her choice, leaving Lily with the rest. Lily glanced over the boys,
but one stood out over all the rest. He was not hot, but he looked familiar, dark hair, tall, thin,
yes. It was Nicky.
"Hey, Nicky, come dance with me, will you?"
"Hey Lily, you remember me, I would be honored to dance with you." The other boys left,
disappoointed, Lily could here a high pitched voice yelling and assumed that the boys were in for
it from their girlfriends. Someone was not going to have very much fun tonight.
Lily linked arms with Nicky, "of course I remember you, are you having fun?"
"I am now."
"Do you know any of these people? Wait a minute, how did you get here?"
"I could ask the same of you. I come in here often, there are several passages that Filtch
does not know about. This party only happens once a year, it used to be a pagen religious
ceremony, but now it's just an excuse to get hammered and stay out all night partying. I have
some friends here Not all geeks are losers. I like to have fun just as much as the next person."
"No one said you were a loser, why would you even say that? Don't cut yourself down like
that. If you don't support you, who will? Why are you so deffensive?"
"Sorry, I just thought...Everyone knows I'm a geek, it doesn't matter."
"Yes it does. But let's not do this now, let's just have fun tonight, I could use the distraction."
"Yeah, you just had a huge row with James right? I saw you making out with Sirius."
"Funny how much out of proportion these things are blown, it was just a kiss, and James is
an ass. But thats not why I need a distraction." It was lucky that they were not near the lights, or
else he would have seen her face turn an unbecoming shade of violet.
"Why do you?"
"My aunt died, but like I said, let's not talk about any of that, let's have fun." "Okay, what
shall we talk about?"
"How terribly you dance, can't you here the music?"
"Of course I can. I am a great dancer." He replied indignantly, stepping away from her,
releasing her arms, and making a spectacle of himself by preforming a series of ridiculous spins
and twists.
"You suck, you need to feel the music, you're totally off beat. You're twisting when you
should slide, and sliding when you should spin. Come on, dance with me." She pulled him closer
and moved with him. When he started to get the feel she let him go, but just then a hip hop song
with rap interspersed started to play. He had been right about at least one thing. Lily was
astonished, he seemed to come alive and was suddenly a great dancer. He was on the floor
break dancing, and grinding with all the girls in the area. He was an amazing dancer, whereas
Lily seemed akward and shy in comparason. He grabbed her waiste and they were dancing in
the center of the square. He tipped her back and spun her around, she was laughing and spinning
along with him, they were in the center of the ring, the center of attention, dancing and grinding to
the beat of the music. Suddenly the rap segment came again and another guy stepped in to the
center, Lily did not know what to do, but was saved the trouble of deciding by Holly pulling her
out of the center. Lily turned around and saw Nicky on the ground, break dancing. He stood up
and the other guy, apparently someone everyone knew, took his turn dancing. He was better
than Nicky, and everyone, incluiding Nicky it seemed, knew it. The crowd went crazy, and no
one noticed when Nicky stepped out and another girl stepped in to the center to dance with the
victorious break dancer.
"Who is he?"
"Who?"
"The guy you were dancing with of course. Who did you think I meant?"
"Oh, that's Nicky, he goes to Hogwarts too."
"Really? Why haven't I dated him? He's cute."
"I know, I just met him the other day, maybe I'll go out with him."
"You could do worse. He's a sexy dancer."
"Tell me about it. Very intense."
"Hey girls." Nicky cam eup behind them and tapped Lily on the shoulder. "I'm heading back
to Hogwarts now, it's getting late, I'll show you the passage if you like, it's much quicker than
however you came."
"Thanks, come on Holly, let's go."
"Okay, I'll just say goodbye to..whoever the guy I was dancing with was, actually, you
know what, I won't. I couldn't pick him out of a crowded room anyway, besides, I like to keep
him guessing." They made it back to the castle in half the amount of time it had taken them to get
there. Lily couldn't help but notice Nicky throwing sideways glances at her on the entire walk to
the castle, and she even found herself sneeking some. They said goodbye to Nicky at the stairs
to the girls rooms, they had not bothered with the invisibility cloak on the walk back, the entire
castle, teachers included, was sound asleep. Lily did not feel like sharing her secret with Nicky,
if she wouldn't share it with her best friends he sure as hell didn't have any right to see it.
The other girls were asleep when they walked in to the room and Lily slipped in to her bed
with a sigh of happiness, and extremely sore feet. Then she remembered her aunt, and again felt
the iressistable urge to do something crazy. Her aunt had lived every day as if it was her last. She
was the kind of aunt who spent her time sky diving, gambling, and dying her hair outrageous
colors. Lily wanted to be like her. But another half of Lily, the good girl half, thought about how
her friends and family would react. How she herself would react. Lily rolled over and siged
again, falling in to a very restless sleep.
She had a confusing dream, as confusing as her waking hours.
She was walking down a deserted corodor, on the walls were pictures of her friends, her
family, old boyfriends, and people she had met in her life. Old teachers were there, some
framed letters, tests, and report cards. There were medals hanging on the wall, there was
a fluite, relect of the days in which she was a band member of her muggle school. She
came to a fork in the hall, on one branch of the corridor there were pictures of her family,
friends, her growing older, having a family, a husband, and children. There were report
cards and medals, lots of "A"s and a family portrait with her smiling and holding the
hand of a tall man, whoes face was indistinct and blurry. In her arms was a little baby,
boy or girl she could not tell. This picture was in the center of the hall, outlined by beam
of light and framed with a elaborate gold gilt frame. Lily turned the other way, pictures of
her friends started to disappear, they were replaced by strangers, people in white suits
who gave Lily the distinct impression of therapists and shrinks. There were no more
medals and "A"s, there were now "D"s and pictures of Lily with short spiky hair, tatoos,
and multiple peircings. In the center of the hall, outlined in shimmering lights and framed
with an eleborate gold gilt frame, was a picture of Lily, lying in a coffin, surrounded by
flowers. Standing behind her were only two people, her mother and father, old, crumpled,
sad, and worn out. They were both crying. No one else had come to her funeral. She saw
herself, her life, falling apart. She saw the bad decisions she could be making, she saw
herself dying young, probally of drug overdoses. She saw her friends leaving her, she saw
her family, sad. Lily turned and firmly made her way down the other corridor, towards the
smiling waving Lily that she could be with some hard work.